Sky Woman And The Big Turtle An Iroquois Creation Myth

Iroquois myths and legends were an important way for customs, beliefs, and histories to be passed down orally through the generations. These myths often explain natural events. In this creation myth, the creation of Earth by Sky Woman and Big Turtle is told. The Iroquois nature myth is retold in this brilliantly illustrated Native American Myth. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Short Tales is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO.

This powerful Iroquois creation myth is greatly enhanced by luscious watercolor illustrations. A wonderful read-aloud book.

Presents illustrated retellings of nine ancient stories of the Iroquois peoples.

Unlike most books that chronicle the history of Native peoples beginning with the arrival of Europeans in 1492, this book goes back to the Ice Age to give young readers a glimpse of what life was like pre-contact. The title, Turtle Island, refers to a Native myth that explains how North and Central America were formed on the back of a turtle. Based on archeological finds and scientific research, we now have a clearer picture of how the Indigenous people lived. Using that knowledge, the authors take the reader back as far as 14,000 years ago to imagine moments in time. A wide variety of topics are featured, from the animals that came and disappeared over time, to what people ate, how they expressed themselves through art, and how they adapted to their surroundings. The importance of story-telling among the Native peoples is always present to shed light on how they explained their world. The end of the book takes us to modern times when the story of the Native peoples is both tragic and hopeful.

This reference volume lists hundreds of resources—books, Internet sites, and media titles—that will assist K-12 students and educators to learn about North American Natives. These appropriate and quality resources are subdivided into chapters covering geographic regions, history, religions, social life, customs and traditions, Nations, oral tradition, biographies, and fiction.

Breathing new life into traditional storytelling, David McLimans takes an exciting step into the world of folktales with another stunning visual feast. At the start of Big Turtle, the world only had two parts: the animals in the lower Water World and the people above in the Sky World. When Sky Girl falls to the sea, she is saved by two beautiful swans but is unable to return to her sky home. Big Turtle suggests building a new home for Sky Girl on his great shell using earth from the bottom of the sea, so Otter, Muskrat, and Beaver each attempt to reach the ocean's bottom. Only little Toad is able to bring enough earth to the surface to place on Big Turtle's back-creating a new world between the sea and sky for Sky Girl, who becomes the Earth's first person.